The boyhood rites of passage — graduating from Tigers to Webelos in Cub Scouts, or going from a Tenderfoot to an Eagle Scout — is woven into the fabric of America, though being openly gay precluded some boys from even joining Scouts until January 2014, and barred gay adults from volunteering as leaders until this week.

Donning the adult leader uniform was an exercise in apologizing. I would introduce myself as a Scout leader, saying, “We’re part of an inclusive troop,” or adding, “It’s easier to change the organization from within.” Troops with which I’ve been involved have practiced a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Care, Don’t Tell Scout Headquarters” policy for years.

Every Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop must have a chartering organization, however, and as the nation evolved over the past decade to include gays in society, the civic, faith-based and educational organizations realized they couldn’t sponsor troops in an institution that was at odds with the majority of Americans. The money behind the troop was at stake.

Still, the decision is weak. It lets church-sponsored troops opt out. They can continue to ban gay leaders. It creates a lesser (or greater, depending on one’s view) Scout. The Mormon church, with 17 percent of all youths in Scouting as part of units it sponsors, may leave entirely.

The question for conservative Catholics, Mormons and others who believe being gay is a sin is whether that even matters when leading a camp-out or teaching boys how to tie knots, paddle a canoe, research genealogy or restore a trail.

How about the Scout Oath? “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” Epaulets, neckerchiefs and marching aside, those values seem like something America needs — and something churches need.

Churches can opt out, or even start their own groups. Maybe, instead, America’s conservative faith organizations will use this opportunity to realize that they are part of an evolving America, with a plurality of views. We can agree to disagree, without dissociating from mainstream society. It might become acceptable for their children to be in a group that doesn’t march in lockstep with their beliefs about gays. Maybe churches can learn from the Scouts’ newfound tolerance, while still keeping their theology. It may require a faith that dogmatic beliefs can stand up to the scrutiny of a more open-minded society.

While churches debate that future, Scouts still have some explaining to do. It took 105 years to do the right thing. Don’t stop evolving now.